[hackerspaces] Radio Shack Hackerspace Challenge: $1000 Prize!

[Yves Quemener]

On 26/05/13 02:48, Don Ankney wrote:
> Somehow I'm guessing that your hackerspace doesn't have the same risk
> profile as a corporate entity such as Radio Shack. Coming up with rules
> that meet the legal requirements of every global legal jurisdiction means
> teams of lawyers just to get domain expertise in every jurisdiction.

"In case of disagreements the jurisdiction of application will be <county>
<state>. "

There.

I am still unconvinced that there is any sort of legal problem outside of
the already mentioned "terrorist list", whether you are a big company or a
small non-profit. I am however, willing to learn but I will not accept
"this is so" as a valid answer.

I suspect that the reason for this situation is just conservatism and
inertia. I would like to be shown wrong.

> There have been many, many times I was prevented from participating in a
> UK-only opportunity, or an India-only opportunity, etc.  My friends and
> colleagues would announce these on international lists.

I honestly don't think that the present one being from US instead of from
any other country changes much. Announcing a national challenge on an
international list while failing to mention it is a national challenge
(like Ken Murphy did, re-read his message and imagine you are in my French
head) is disingenuous. "DARPA proposes challenges to US hackerspaces"
"India's governement sponsors hackerspaces projects" "UK education program
helps local hackerspaces" makes it clear. Radioshack is a provider that is
not US only, I already ordered many things from them and many here did as
well.

> I have never
> begrudged or tried to deny them that.  I have never slammed anyone for
> the circumstances of those activities.

I don't think it is the point of this discussion, rather :

> I doubt that the value of the contest to the company outweighs the cost of
> the legal review, which means the alternative to a US-only contest is no
> contest at all.
> 
> Is that really preferable?

Certainly not, yet... If every "hackerspace challenge" became centered on a
single nation. If the hackerspace movement became just a federation of
national movements that would not necessarily trust or welcome each other,
that would be sad.

This is why, no one here calls for boycott or say it is a bad thing to
participate or offer such a challenge. We (or maybe just I) are just
wondering why oh why this is only US-centric while there doesn't seem to be
a good reason to.